Hegseth slams 'fat generals', says US officers should resign if they don't support his agenda

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth slammed "fat generals" and diversity initiatives that he said led to decades of decay in the military and told a rare gathering of commanders on Tuesday (Sep 30) they should resign if they don't support his agenda.

"Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading and we lost our way. We became the 'Woke Department'," Hegseth said as he kicked off the event in Quantico, Virginia. "But not anymore," he said.

Addressing a room full of America's top generals and admirals, summoned from around the world without explanation last week, Hegseth defended his firings of flag officers, including the top US general, who is Black, and the Navy's top admiral, who is a woman. He said the officers he relieved were part of a broken culture.

He promised sweeping changes to how discrimination complaints are handled and how accusations of wrongdoing are investigated at the Pentagon, saying the current system has top brass walking on "egg shells."

"If the words I'm speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honourable thing and resign," Hegseth said.

"I know the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full."

Hegseth criticised the look of overweight troops, saying: "It's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon."

He said all fitness tests would be set to male benchmarks only and emphasised the importance of grooming standards.

"The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos," Hegseth told the audience, which sat in silence.

He also warned commanders: "If the words I'm speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honourable thing and resign."

Democrats broadly condemned the event, accusing the administration of driving partisan politics into the military. "It signals that partisan loyalty matters more than capability, judgment, or service to the Constitution, undermining the principle of a professional, nonpartisan military," said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate's armed services committee.

TRUMP TELLS COMMANDERS: I HAVE YOUR BACKS

President Donald Trump, as he departed for the event, told reporters on Tuesday that he would fire military leaders on the spot if he did not like them.

Trump then opened with a joke as he took the stage, saying: "If you don't like what I'm saying, you can leave the room, of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future."

But he then spoke warmly of the military, in sometimes wandering remarks praising the prowess of US nuclear submarines, while also lashing out at the media, former president Joe Biden and Venezuela.

Echoing Hegseth, Trump attacked diversity initiatives, saying: "Merit. Everything's based on merit... We're not going to have somebody taking your place for political reasons, because they are politically correct and you're not."

"I am with you. I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100 per cent," Trump said.

The auditorium was filled with senior uniformed officials, seated in front of a stage with a large American flag, a lectern and boards that read: "Strength. Service. America."

Several officers sat expressionless as Trump spoke, with a naval officer spotted taking notes. Trump did not appear to hold one-on-one meetings with commanders before departing.

REVAMP OF DEFENCE PRIORITIES?

The Pentagon has undergone eight months of blistering changes since Trump took office, including firings, banning books from academy libraries and ordering lethal strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela.

Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the "Department of War," reverting to a title it held until after World War II when officials sought to emphasise the Pentagon's role in preventing conflict.

Military leaders attending the gathering will be under public scrutiny for any reaction to overtly political comments made by Trump, who has often dragged the military into political issues.

The US military is meant to be apolitical, loyal to the US Constitution and independent of any party or political movement.

Over the weekend, Trump announced plans to send National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. He has also pledged deployments to Chicago, while earlier this year he sent Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles despite local objections.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Trump suggested US cities could serve as "training grounds" for troops, saying America was under attack from within by immigrants in the country illegally. "America is under invasion from within... no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways, because they don't wear uniforms," he said.

That triggered a sharp reaction from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, who wrote on X: "Anyone who talks about their fellow Americans as enemies to be 'taken out' is not fit to lead the nation."